Please visit https://www.sfa.ufl.edu for financial aid information and any recent updates. 

Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

Graduate Assistantships are available through individual academic units. Stipend rates paid are determined by the employing academic unit. Interested students should ask their academic-unit offices about the availability of assistantships and the procedure for applying. Early inquiry is essential to be assured of meeting application deadlines. Appointments are made on the recommendation of the academic unit chair, subject to admission to the Graduate School and to the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. Initial appointment requires clear evidence of superior ability and promise. Reappointment to assistantships requires evidence of continued good scholarship.

For fall appointments, apply to the appropriate academic unit chair, on or before February 15th of each year, unless otherwise specified. Deadlines for appointments for other terms are determined by the employing unit.

Fellows, trainees, and graduate assistants must pay appropriate tuition and fees. Fellows receiving stipends of $4,000 or greater per term (prorated for summer) are expected to devote full time to their studies. Students who accept fellowships and traineeship are required to register appropriately. Trainees are also expected to devote full time to their studies. Graduate assistants have part-time teaching or research duties; they are required to register for reduced credit loads, according to the schedule for their appointment. Students on appointment are financially liable for excess credits beyond the required registrations. If a student on appointment drops below the required registration at any time in the semester, the student becomes financially liable for the entire registration.

University-Wide Fellowships

Graduate School Preeminence and Funding Awards

The Graduate School Preeminence (GSPA) and the Graduate School Funding Award (GSFA) represent one of the most prestigious graduate student awards available at the University. Funded at competitive levels, these desirable awards support students in all programs and departments of the University awarding a Ph.D. or M.F.A.

To ensure that Graduate School Preeminence Award and Graduate School Funding Award recipients receive every opportunity to succeed, the GSPA and GSFA will provide four years of stipend support. Tuition and health insurance are also provided for new students formally admitted into Ph.D. programs. M.F.A. students receive three-year GSF awards. Students may be appointed as graduate assistants, research assistants, or teaching assistants.

The University expects Graduate School Preeminence and Graduate School Funding Award recipients to demonstrate high levels of academic achievement and active participation in university life. GSPA and GSFA recipients are selected by their departments or programs of their major field of study. For more information on the GSF program, please contact the graduate coordinator for the degree program of interest.   

Grinter Fellowship  

Named in honor of Dr. Linton E. Grinter, Dean of the Graduate School from 1952 to 1969, this fellowship provides stipend supplements to assist in recruiting exceptional graduate students. Currently enrolled graduate students are not eligible, except when entering a Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) program. Stipend supplements are $2000 to $4000 per year for up to three years. Continuing the Grinter Fellowship beyond the first year depends on satisfactory student progress. Students in the Colleges of Engineering and Law are not eligible for this award.

For further details, please contact the appropriate major academic unit.

Title VI: Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship

Title VI fellowships are available to graduate students whose academic programs are Latin America, Africa, or Europe oriented.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must be registered for a full-time course load including a language relevant to the area of their choice: specifically, Portuguese or Haitian Creole for recipients through the Center for Latin American Studies; Akan, Amharic, Arabic, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba, Zulu or other African languages for which appropriate instruction can be arranged, for recipients through the Center for African Studies; and Czech, Greek (modern), Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, or other lesser and least commonly taught European languages for which appropriate instruction can be arranged for recipients through the Center for European Studies. Academic year and summer fellowship programs have separate application processes.

For more information, contact:

Office of Student Veteran Services and Social Security Administration Benefits Information

Veterans Benefits

For information regarding veteran education benefits please visit the UF Student Veterans Services. For further GI Bill information, please visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Social Security Benefits

Inquiries related to Social Security benefits should be directed to the student’s local Social Security Office. The Office of the University Registrar will complete enrollment certificates issued by the Social Security Administration for students eligible to receive educational benefits. A full-time graduate load is nine hours.

External Fellowships for Graduate Students

For information on external fellowships, small grants, and other funding opportunities:  
https://research.ufl.edu/research-lifecycle/find-funding.html

The COS/Pivot Funding Opportunities database and the GrantForward Database are keyword searchable and highly recommended as information resources
http://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/content.php?pid=215478&sid=1953084.

The Graduate School posts information concerning external funding opportunities at
https://grad.ufl.edu/gss/funding/ 

Graduate School Support Programs

Dissertation Completion Assistance

Graduate School Dissertation Awards: The Graduate School Dissertation Award is a competitive award created to provide final term funding for UF Ph.D. candidates in selected majors in the humanities, arts, and social sciences to complete their dissertations through defense, final clearance by the Editorial Office, and graduation. This program is for students who have exhausted all funding and is meant to allow recipients the time and resources to focus exclusively on completing their dissertation by the end of the award period.  

The program provides a stipend for approximately four to six months. The award periods will be:

  1. Summer C plus Fall,
  2. Fall,
  3. Spring, or
  4. Spring plus Summer C.

Up to 5 credits of tuition at the in-state rate will be provided depending on the award period. Students are expected to graduate at the end of the award period. While under this award, applicants may not receive a fellowship, assistantship, or other funding with this award.  

The application and deadlines are posted on the website: https://grad.ufl.edu/academics/editorial/etd-dates/

Graduate School Doctoral Research Travel Awards: The Graduate School Doctoral Research Travel Award provides support for research-related travel expenses for UF Ph.D. students in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. This program is for students who have inadequate departmental funding to effectively conduct doctoral dissertation research away from UF.

Students selected for the Graduate School Doctoral Research Travel Award can receive up to $6,000 for doctoral research-related travel for one semester—Fall, Spring, or Summer C. A limited number of awards will be available each semester depending on the level of available funding.

For more information and application process and deadlines, see website:
https://grad.ufl.edu/gss/funding/

Supplemental Retention Scholarship Award: This award assists doctoral students in completing their degrees by providing tuition support at the in-state level and involves their participation in Graduate School-sponsored workshops. Students within three semesters of completing their Ph.D., who no longer have funding available through an assistantship or fellowship, are eligible to receive limited tuition assistance for the remaining semesters. The tuition assistance is not given in the form of cash, employment, tuition, or fee waiver; it is paid directly to Student Financial Services as a scholarship.

Applications may be obtained at: https://grad.ufl.edu/gss/funding/

Office of Graduate Student Support and Engagement (OGSSE) Programs

The following fellowships and programs are administered by the Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Student Support and Engagement (OGSSE)
https://grad.ufl.edu/gss/ogsse/

Mailing address:
121 Grinter P.O. Box 115500
Gainesville, FL 32611
Phone: (352) 392-6444, (800) 753-9798
Email: Grad-Support@ufl.edu   

The OGSSE (Office of Graduate Student Support and Engagement) offers various scholarships to support the retention of graduate students. These scholarships and fellowships are designed to help students cover the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses. They also provide students with financial assistance to help them succeed. OGSSE Funding Opportunities

In addition to financial assistance, OGSSE also provides students with opportunities to engage with their peers and the Gainesville community. These opportunities can help students bolster their success in their studies in several ways.

Mentorship opportunities: OGSSE matches graduate students with experienced professionals in their fields. This can help students learn from more experienced individuals and gain insights into their chosen field.

Peer socials: OGSSE organizes social events for graduate students to meet each other and build relationships. This can help students feel more connected to their university and community and provide them with support and encouragement.

Networking opportunities: OGSSE hosts events where graduate students can network with other students, professionals, and alumni. This can help students learn about job opportunities and make connections that could benefit their careers.

Research opportunities: OGSSE provides funding and support for graduate students to engage in research, helping them develop their research skills and contribute to their fields.

Writing workshops: OGSSE offers writing workshops for graduate students, helping them improve their writing skills and effectively communicate their research.

OGSSE helps graduate students build a strong foundation for success in their studies and careers by providing these opportunities.

Please note: The UF Office of Graduate Student Support and Engagement is not involved in processing applications or making admissions decisions. The student’s academic unit is the primary contact for both. For questions about the online application process, please contact the UF Office of Admissions directly. Contact information can be found at the bottom of the UF office of admission website:  http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/

Office for Student Financial Affairs

Financial aid is available to qualified graduate students through the Office for Student Financial Affairs (SFA) in S107 Criser Hall, mainly through work or loan programs.

Applying for financial aid at UF, including loans, begins with the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Apply at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Apply on or soon after October 1, 2018 for the 2019-20 FAFSA. UF’s “On-Time” deadline to receive the results of your 2019-20 FAFSA from the federal processor is December 15, 2018. Apply well before December 15 to ensure that the federal processor has time to analyze and send the results of your 2019-20 FAFSA to UF SFA.

Apply as early as possible to be considered for the most, and best aid. Students should not forget to reapply each year. Financial aid is not renewed automatically.

Although you must be accepted for enrollment at UF before you receive financial aid, you should apply for aid before being admitted. More information on financial aid can be found at http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/.

Loans

UF participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program. There are other loan programs available including UF Long Term Loans, UF Short Term Loans and Alternative Loans. Your eligibility is based on your classification, enrollment status, cost of attendance, and a number of other factors.

Short-term loans: UF has Short-Term Loans (STL) available to students enrolled at least half-time to help meet temporary, emergency financial needs related to educational expenses. Registered students with valid repayment sources may borrow up to $1,000 if tuition is paid or deferred, or the amount of their in-state tuition. Interest is computed monthly at the rate of 1% on the unpaid balance from the date the loan is disbursed. A minimum of one month’s interest will be charged if the loan is paid in full within 30 days. Short-Term Loans must be repaid either when the repayment source is received, or by the established repayment deadline for the semester in which the loan was received, whichever comes first.

For more information regarding specific loan programs, please visit SFA’s loan page at http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/loans/.

Part-Time Employment

UF offers part-time student jobs through three employment programs: Federal Work-Study jobs, including the Federal Community Service component; Other Personnel Services (STAS); and off-campus jobs.

Federal Work-Study jobs are based on financial need. To apply for Federal Work-Study jobs, students must complete a FAFSA. STAS jobs are not based on financial need.

To search and apply for on-campus jobs, including all Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Community Service, and STAS positions, go to GatorJobs. Choose “Search Postings.” For “Job Type,” choose “Student.”

Search for off-campus jobs through the Career Connections Center website, https://career.ufl.edu/, using your Gator CareerLink Account.

For more information and how to apply: http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/employment/.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients

Students receiving financial aid must be making satisfactory academic progress under UF’s published standards. UF’s financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is available on the Office for Student Financial Affairs (SFA) website at http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/process/additional-information/satisfactory-academic-progress-policy/.